The present invention generally refers to a mounting arrangement for mounting a bearing. More particularly, the invention pertains to a mounting arrangement having particularly useful application for blind mounting a bearing of the type where the bearing rings are axially movable relative to each other.
When mounting bearings, having axially movable bearing rings, in a blind manner (i.e., where the outer race ring of the bearing shall be mounted in a bearing seat which is not accessible), often the inner race ring with a set of rolling bodies is arranged on a shaft end integral with an adjacent shaft portion of at least the same diameter as the bearing seat diameter. This means that it is difficult to control the mounting displacement for both race rings so as to be sure that both race rings have been positioned in the bearing seat and on the shaft in the correct initial positions.
Such a mounting can be required, for example in a gear box, where a shaft is to be mounted in such a concealed manner, with the shaft, for example, being supported in a toroidal roller bearing, or in another type of axially displaceable bearing. The invention described here is not limited to use in such an application, but rather can be applied in a variety of different applications where similar or related difficulties may exist.
The mounting arrangement described here is designed to ascertain that the outer race ring of the bearing is positioned correctly during the mounting operation, and in such a manner that the shaft is not prevented from expanding following temperature increase and also so that lubricating oil can enter the bearing.
According to one aspect of the invention, a bearing mounting arrangement includes a housing having a bearing seat, two bearing rings movable relative to each other, and an annular washer fitted to one of the two bearing rings and adapted to abut a side face of the other bearing ring during mounting to transfer an axial mounting force between the two bearing rings to mount one of the bearing rings in the bearing seat. The washer is tapered and is arranged to achieve a first stable position in which the washer transfers an axial force sufficient to push the one bearing ring into a mounted position in the bearing seat, to achieve an unstable position encountered after the one bearing ring has reached the mounted position in the bearing seat, and under influence of continued axial force is adapted to flex to an inverted second stable position in which the washer flexes away from the side face of the other bearing ring to open a passage between the bearing rings in an operating position of the bearing.
According to another aspect, a bearing mounting arrangement for blind mounting a bearing includes a housing having a bearing seat, a shaft having an end portion positioned in the housing, and the bearing comprising an inner bearing ring mounted on the shaft, an outer bearing ring movable relative to the inner bearing ring, and a plurality of rolling bodies positioned between the inner and outer bearing rings. An annular washer is mounted on the inner bearing ring at an inner periphery of the washer and abuts against a side face of the shaft in an operating position of the bearing so that an open passage exists between the inner and outer bearing rings in an operating position of the bearing. The washer is adapted to transfer an axial mounting force from the inner bearing ring to the outer bearing ring during mounting of the bearing in the bearing seat by moving from a first stable position in which an outer periphery of the washer engages a side face of the outer bearing ring to transfer an axial force sufficient to push the outer bearing ring into a mounted position in the bearing seat, to an unstable intermediate position, and to a second stable position in which the washer flexes away from the side face of the outer bearing ring to a second stable position inverted with respect to the first stable position.
Another aspect involves a method of blind mounting a bearing in a bearing seat of a housing or on a shaft, wherein the bearing includes two bearing rings movable with respect to each other and a plurality of rolling elements between the two bearing rings, and including a washer abutting a side face of one of the bearing rings. The method involves applying an axial force between the two bearing rings with the washer being arranged in a first position to transfer the axial mounting force to the one bearing ring to position the one bearing ring in a mounted position in the bearing seat or on a shaft. The axial force continues to be applied to move the other bearing ring with respect to the one bearing ring in its mounted position to cause the washer to flex to a second position inverted with respect to the first position so that the washer flexes away from the side face of the one bearing, with a passage being opened between the two bearing rings.